


Kissing in the Rain: Fan Canon Candidates

by Drive-By Drabbles (DriveByDrabbles)



Category: Kissing in the Rain (Web Series)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-26
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-02-16 05:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2257890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DriveByDrabbles/pseuds/Drive-By%20Drabbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kissing in the Rain: http://lilyandjameskitr.tumblr.com/about</p><p>Kissing in the Rain was a transmedia project that combined both scripted video content, canonized written content released on Tumblr by the creators, as well as soliciting fan-created content to be included into the "canon" of the series.  </p><p>This represents a series of postings on Tumblr that I contributed to this project. While none were ultimately "canonized", I had a great deal of fun coming up with them and reading all the other submissions. It was a unique project and one that I think other creators should experiment with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Time

**Author's Note:**

> I ran into the Kissing in the Rain transmedia project via Mary Kate Wiles (who acts in the videos). I’ve watched the first three episodes and read a few of the entries on Tumblr about it. This drabble/scenelet/ficlet came to mind. Lily and James clearly have some history. This is one version of what that history was.
> 
> Reposting of my KitR fics from Tumblr. Originally posted on March 26, 2014 at http://drivebydrabbles.tumblr.com/post/80762634268/the-first-time

James couldn’t even remember how it happened. It obviously did, of course, and it was sometimes easy to forget given how many times they’ve done it since. He wasn’t sure why he was even thinking about it, but these five minute breaks between takes were excruciating, especially because she wouldn’t even talk to him, or look at him. So he thought about it some more. 

The first time with Lily. The first kiss. 

It was at some bar where screenwriters and actors gathered, all looking for their break. “C’mon, you can network!” his friends told him. “You might be acting with these people some day!”

“Fat chance,” James muttered. 

Boy was he wrong.

Sarah had just dumped him, so he sat quietly at the table, nursing his solitary beer. He’d have drowned his misery with more if he could afford it. That was one of the reasons she left. She accused him of neglecting his promise to be rich and famous, as if he deliberately chose to be passed over for roles. They fought, she threw things, he smashed other things, and she stormed out. The next day, all her things were gone and her phone number was changed. He still missed the bitchy redhead, though.

Then he met Lily at that bar. She looked like she always did around him: in a bad mood. His friends called her over to their table and made introductions. She was less than gracious in greeting everyone. Turned out she was just dumped, too, but from a production she was in, not by a boyfriend. Except that the producer was her boyfriend who fancied the lead actress in more than a professional capacity. 

Lily was arresting, though. Even in a bad mood, her eyes demanded his attention. Her mouth was expressive, her voice captivating and her hair was his weakness. It was red. And so he watched her, like Nevermore in Poe’s famous poem. 

“What are you looking at?” 

James found himself the object of her attention in all the wrong ways. Their mutual friends chatted on blithely about some reality television nonsense and ignored the two sullen actors confronting one another in low voices.

“Sorry. I just —“

“You just what?”

“I like redheads.” 

“Really.” It wasn’t a question; it was a challenge.

James winced inwardly. Why the hell did I say that? “Sorry,” he said again. “It’s been a bad week and I —“

“You know what? I’ve had a bad week. I lost my job and my cheating whoremonger of a boyfriend. At the same time! I don’t need to be sitting here at a bar ogled by—“

It was her rant that triggered him. He used to do it with Sarah. She’d get started on a rant and he’d lean in suddenly, cradle her cheek and pull her into a strong kiss just to shut her up. Most of the time it worked. Maybe it was just trained reflex, but that’s what he did with Lily. Just as she was working herself up to tell him off, when he leaned in and shut her up with a kiss. 

She slapped him afterwards, of course. But in between that moment of shock and outrage, he thought there was just a tiny second she might have enjoyed it. He could taste strawberry for weeks afterwards, which of course brought the memory of the softness of her lips on his, and the scent of her perfume that night… 

James smiled to himself at the memory, drawing the attention — and frown — from Lily standing right next to him. 

“All right, we are good to go. And — rain!” The director’s amplified voice and sudden restart of the showers jarred James out of his reverie. Back to work. But even as mentally reviewed his lines for the next scene (of course he had it memorized; he was a professional) a tiny corner of his mind held on to the memory of the first time. 

Yeah, it was a great kiss.


	2. Missed Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fan contribution, post-episode 4.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on April 1, 2014 at http://drivebydrabbles.tumblr.com/post/81371999608/missed-connection

He had been looking forward to this role.  Edgar Allan Poe!  It was an iconic, classic figure of American literature. And, as his agent reminded him, not one who had made the silver screen in a huge way. _It’s ready-made for an Oscar!_ his agent had said.

It was weird to him that he had an agent on retainer these days.

Still, something about the role called to him and he eagerly signed on. The director was a hot up-and-comer.  The writing characterized Poe in a way that James could empathize with.  And his new girlfriend — yes, he had a girlfriend! — was supportive, though he’d be shooting for weeks on the east coast.  

And then Lily Everett signed on to play Annabel Lee.

James called his agent to make sure that he wasn’t representing both him and Lily.  “Are you sure?”

“I think I know who my clients are, James.  But I do know who Lily Everett’s agent is.  I went to UCLA with her.”

“Please tell me you didn’t tell her about this project.”

“Of course I did!  The screen loves you guys together.”

James heaved a long sigh. “Dax, it’d be nice to act with someone new for a change, you know…”

“Hey, you hired me to help you get jobs, make you money, and hopefully win awards.”

There was no denying that.  He was getting jobs thrown at him at every awkward social event.  Where he was once lucky to get recognized at the Burbank luggage carousel, he now had fans and the occasional papparazi trailing him from LAX.

“Besides,” Dax continued, “You guys work well together.  You’re like this decade’s Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.  People see your names on the billing and the flock to see it.”

And that was how he was wooing with a poem in hand and kissing Lily Everett. 

In the rain. 

Again.  

Just after that take, his phone vibrated; his girlfriend back in California sent him a text.  Lily began to ask him something but with his mind on a certain redhead back west, James shot her down with uncharacteristic firmness.  With slippery fingers, he brought up iMessage and suppressed a grin into a mere smile at the text: _‘I’m just a Poe boy, nobody loves me.’ ‘He’s just a Poe boy from a Poe family!’_ He shook his left hand out to respond. Glancing up momentarily, he saw Lily looking at him.

“Very funny text message,” he murmured.  Then went to text California girl back.

“Cool,” said Lily barely audible.  He missed the momentary hurt look flicker on her damp face.


	3. Lily, James, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and James are invited to the Ellen DeGeneres show to promote their latest movie. Ellen has other plans for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published on April 7, 2014 at http://drivebydrabbles.tumblr.com/post/82069137362/lily-james-and-the-ellen-degeneres-show

Acting schools never taught you the _business_ of show business.  Oh sure, they taught you how to do costuming, makeup, acting out the scene, maybe win that Oscar some day — but that was just a small portion of the project.  After the movie was done and all the post-production had finished their job, the actors were back to work _selling_ the project.  

The press junket days were the worst.  Long, long days sitting on a directors chair (it looked more “Hollywood”) next to a giant posters with your face on it.  You were usually with a cast member or two, answering the same questions to a series of perky, but utterly forgettable interviewers from entertainment magazines, television news anchors, and newspaper reports (did they still have jobs?)  Then there were all the radio morning shows, which meant zipping around town from station to station, answering the same questions again.

Of course, Lily was always paired up with James. Always. And only James.  Her faked smile and fake laugh got plenty of practice as interviewers kept prodding to see if there was heat off-screen that they managed to produce on-screen. Five times now, they often reminded. (As if she could forget.) It got easier when she saw the press junket days as just another role she had to play for the movie.  James was of the same mind because they managed to get through these without betraying the truth of their off-screen chemistry. 

This project had a treat, though.  With these bigger budget productions, the PR and marketing folks had managed to get her a slot on _The Ellen DeGeneres Show_ to talk about the movie and as an up-and-comer.  Pam was more ecstatic than she was.  When Lily told her the news, Pam squealed so loudly in excitement that a boom operator thirty feet away heard it.  Lily held the phone at arms length with a wince until Pam calmed down enough to not blow her ear drums out.

Of course, they had to send James.  There was a tiny sliver of hope she could do this solo; she recalled a Shakespearean sonnet, and looked upon herself and cursed her fate.

At the studio in Burbank, she met James and they exchanged the barest of greetings; Ellen took this as simple nerves and introduced them to great applause and enthusiasm from the crowd.  Lily came out first waving and smiling, but the women in the audience went nuts when James stepped out with his stupid goofy grin and scruffy face. 

They gave him a standing ovation.

Ellen had to ask in her charming manner about their chemistry.  Lily and James were too well practiced to get caught off-guard about this.  What they weren’t expecting came next.

“You’ve done a number of projects together where your characters have these passionate, wonderful kisses,” Ellen said.

“Yes, that’s right,” Lily replied.

“Now we do have a clip of the movie, but I was wondering if instead, you two could just act it out the scene here, now?”

The audience lost its shit.  In about three-point-six seconds they were chanting, “KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!”

For the first time, Lily and James had a shared moment off-screen, albeit one of horror that they were being asked to do this with no preparation. James gave a nervous laugh. “Um, isn’t it time for a commercial break?”

Both Ellen and the audience laughed. “It is, but don’t think you’re getting out of this!  We’ll be right back!”

The second it cut to a break, James grabbed Lily’s hand and pulled her off to the side.  “OK, look, if we don’t do this, they’re going to tear us up.  Then our agents will yell at us, then the studio…”

Lily shook her hand free. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been in the business a while too, you know.”

“Do you remember your lines?”

She looked up at him and could tell he was deeply uncomfortable with what they were being asked to do.  He was used to extensive preparation. Read-throughs in costume to get used to the role, his playlists, all of it.  “I think so,” she said with more confidence than she really had.

And so it was that they were reciting their lines from scene where ‘David’ professed his love to ‘Susan’ while Ellen stood over them with a water spritzer making their hair damp and wearing the biggest grin. They blamed each other for their predicament.  He stole his kiss. She slapped him.  He made his passionate, romantic plea. And then they kissed to a deafening roar of the audience.

It wasn’t until later when Pam called her up that she found out that James, the ever-prepared and polished James, had messed up one of his lines and Lily hadn’t noticed. (Pam had TiVo’d it and watched it 14 times.)  James’ line was, “I’m crazy about you, Susan. You make my blood boil. We’d kill each other by Sunday, but by God it’d be a glorious Saturday night. I love you.”

Except he said, “I’m crazy about you, _Lily._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten points if you recognize the Shakespearean sonnet referenced.


	4. A Moment of Weakness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily runs into James just after he gets dumped by his girlfriend while on set.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published April 11, 2014 at http://drivebydrabbles.tumblr.com/post/82368163911/a-moment-of-weakness

Lily didn’t know why she was doing this, but she clutched the updated script intended for James and walked around looking for him. Maybe a peace offering. A way to open up dialogue again for a second chance.  A scene scheduled for afternoon shooting was “tweaked”.  A young PA was given the chore when Lily volunteered to make the delivery.  

She found her co-star looking wet and miserable, and hunched over a cell phone.  Something about the set of his shoulders was off, though. Like he was more wet and miserable than he should have been. As she approached from the rear, she heard him heave a bitter-sounding sigh, clutching the iPhone as if to crush it in his grasp.  “Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit,” he cursed under his breath.

“Umm—“  Lily couldn’t help feel she was intruding on something, even if it was just the two of them off to one corner of the courtyard.

James spun around with a dark look at the interruption. On seeing Lily he deflated again, shoulders slumped.  It was so odd seeing him this defeated.  “Oh,” he said.

“Sorry. I was just, um—“

“I suppose you heard that?”

Lily shook her head. “No.”  Though she _was_ curious.  

James grimaced. “Doesn’t matter. Just got dumped.”

“Why?”  The word tumbled out of her mouth before she could rein it back in and offer something more appropriate, like ‘ _I’m sorry to hear that.’_

“Why? Because we were going out for six months and I spent half of it on the wrong coast getting paid to make out with another woman on camera, apparently.”

“Oh,” said Lily.  She hadn’t had been with anyone in even longer, though it did mean James was single again. _Why did I think that? Shouldn’t I feel bad that it’s sorta-kinda my fault?_

“Anyway. What did you want?”

Lily’s lips tightened at the ungracious reply.  _He’s getting over a breakup_ , she reminded herself. “Your updated script for this afternoon’s scenes.”  

James nodded, took the script from her and left for his trailer without so much as a ‘Thanks.’   

— 

It wasn’t until much later that James realized that this was the sort of chore a PA would do.  Realizing his stupidity, he groaned and repeatedly tapped his forehead on the small desk in his trailer.  As if he didn’t already regret his hurtful words earlier (“I don’t care about you at all”, his memory reminded him) he now had this to make up to her.

_Why is this so hard?  
_


	5. The Last Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After what is probably their last movie together, James and Lily share a moment after a premier party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-Episode 6, originally published April 15, 2014 at http://drivebydrabbles.tumblr.com/post/82775364512/the-last-time

_This is absolutely the last time_ , James thought.

It was another premiere and he was starting to feel like these were almost routine, until his agent (and Sirius) bugged him about going solo all the time.  He was convinced to run social media contest whose prize was to be his date to the opening nearest their hometown.  (Contestants had to  be legal age and reside in the lower 48 — sorry Hawaii and Alaska.)  The winner was a barely-legal high schooler who positively soaked up the media attention.  James felt like he was _her_ ornament. 

He smiled at the many (many) comments about the stars who came to such things, and politely answered the repeated questions: _Who’s that?  Do you know him? Can you introduce me?_

It was impossible not to run into Lily during the photo ops. She arched a brow at the giddy date on James’ arm but she said nothing. After six movies’ worth of roles, she could read enough of his body language to understand that he was tolerating his date, but not enjoying her company.  (She wondered if that’s what he looked like with her in those middle films.)

By the after-after party, James had enough.  He went to the busiest, loudest bar, introduced her to chatty AD that he knew. Then he promptly ditched her under the pretense of getting them drinks.  She didn’t cotton on to the fact that he didn’t have to leave to order drinks.

He walked outside and breathed in the cooler air. A half-block away, he found a park bench beneath a well-lit lamp and sat down just as his cell phone rang.   “H’lo?”

“Jimmy!” Only one person answered him like that.

“Sirius,” James sighed.

“How’s the party?  I still haven’t forgiven you for not getting me a date.”

“You can have mine. I left her at the bar. If there was ever a sign that I shouldn’t date anyone below twenty, she was it. I blame you.  Also, you’re fired.”

“You can’t fire me. Who else will interfere in your life and make you uncomfortable?”

James barely heard Sirius’ flip reply because Lily was walking down the street from the bar; she was probably at the same party he just left. Absently he hung up on Sirius and shoved the phone back in his pocket.  “Hey,” he said.  She seemed lost in her thoughts, so he called out again. “Hey.” 

Lily glanced up to see a tuxedo-clad James sitting on the park bench, alone.  “Are you waiting for someone?”

“No,” he said.  He shifted over to the side a few inches. It was an invitation to come sit down because the words were stuck in his throat, like they always were.  

“What happened to your date?”  Lily tugged a borrowed shawl around her shoulders.  Shoulderless gowns looked great, but the temperature had dropped more than she expected. She was aware of his eyes on her, like one of his many of his characters eyeing her character. Except there was no script this time, no camera. 

“Couldn’t handle her any more,” he shrugged. “Stupid contest my agent thought up. Yours?”

“Same.”  There was a long pause of stillness and silence. This was almost familiar territory for them.  “So, what are you going to do the rest of the night?”

He shrugged.  “Dunno. The night’s still young.”

“Not nearly as young as your date,” Lily said, a mischievous smile hovering on her lips.

James gave her a look. “Et tu, Brute?”

She giggled. It was probably the first time she did that in a conversation, or even a scene, between them. Then she shivered again.  And just like one of their scripts  James shook off his jacket and eased it over her shoulders.  “You don’t need to do that,” she said softly.

“You’re cold.”  He held her gaze, nearly losing himself in those expressive grey eyes until she deliberately looked at a passing pedestrian.  

“So, I heard you turned down the _Shop Around the Corner_ remake?”

“Yeah.”

“Afraid you’d be kissing me in the rain again?”  

Despite himself, his smiled. “Script said it’d be in daylight.”

The parallels to their last film were uncanny. She wanted him to stay, to do the remake with her. He was leaving, but would stay with just one word. _Stay. Just say it._ “I—“ She turned to look back to him, her mouth open to say just that and found herself inches  from his very familiar face with an identical expression on his. His breath was warm on her face and the lamplight glinted of his glasses _just so._   Even the slightest breeze at her back would have pushed her into a kiss he desperately wanted.

“Yes?” he breathed on her lips.  

“I— I think I should get to my ride. Before I get pneumonia again.”  Lily blushed and desperately looked away, hoping the evening dimness would cover her burning face.

Lily was in her hired limo and away into the night.  James escorted her, of course, since it was evening and he _was_ a gentleman.  He let his fingers linger on hers when he helped her into the car and took his jacket back.  Her last look before the door closed was pleading. _Stay._   Then the car was off.

James heaved a sigh and reminded himself why this was their last film together.  It was just too hard to decouple the actor from the role any more.  It really was too bad.

He wanted her kiss one last time.


	6. Detente; or, an Episode 7 AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had this half-written the week after Episode 6, but I didn’t finish it. So, it becomes an Episode 7 AU. I was tempted to call it an ‘alternate ending’ except, of course, our friends aren’t playing roles in episode 7!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published April 21, 2014 at http://drivebydrabbles.tumblr.com/post/83492469218/detente-or-an-episode-7-au

It was late at night, but it was the last night to get this done.  So Lily stood outside lovely house, holding an umbrella.  _L.A. never gets rain this late in the year._   The house was James’ new residence, his first major purchase from his movie money. Lily got the address from Pam, who got it from someone she met online.  Lily didn’t ask too many questions. She just hoped it was the right place and rapped on the door.

James opened the door and blinked.  He opened it the rest of the way.

“Hi,” said Lily, lowering the umbrella to the side. A small porch shielded her from the worst of the rain.  

“Hi.”  If James was surprised, he masked it well.  “How did you—?“

“Sirius.”

James looked intently at Lily. 

 _Oh god, now he thinks I’m a crazy stalker._ “Look. I just came here because—  I mean, you should—  That is to say—“ Lily closed her eyes, pressed her lips together and took a breath to compose herself. _I can’t say it. I have to say it.  I can’t say it._

“If this is about that movie I turned down—“

“Yes.” She looked up at him.  “Wait. No. This is going to sound stupid, but I’m here because… there’s been unresolved tension between us lately.”  She twisted her hands together and looked down.  

“Lately?”  His first non-passive expression was a raised brow and an amused lilt to the single word question.

Lily’s head shot up.  “Shut up,” she said reflexively, then immediately regretted it.  _Just get it over with._ “I’m told there’s unresolved tension and how I— we— should talk about it. You know, before you head off to be a hero or something.”

James fiddled with the door knob and looked down as well, something Lily interpreted as discomfort at her presence. 

 _I blew it.  I knew it._ “Oh.” It was the smallest ‘oh’ ever uttered.  “I’m sorry to bug you so late.”  She turned to go but James’ hand shot out to stop her from turning to pick up the umbrella. 

“No, you don’t understand.  I—“

Halfway to tears, she covered his mouth. “No, don’t say anything.”

James gently tugged her hand down, her fingers unconsciously curling around his. “Let me finish—“  

“Shut up.”  Lily’s other hand moved up to cover his mouth mid-sentence.  She could almost imagine he was kissing her palm while she muffled his words. 

He gently removed that as well, holding her hands in his.  “I’m crazy about—“

Deprived of her hands, Lily shut him up in the only way left to her.  She had lots of practice at this at least, closed her eyes, rushed up and pressed her lips to his.  She kissed him like ‘David’ kissed ‘Susan’ after she slapped him on that second take. Hard. She shook her hands out of his and clung to him, grasping his sweater for what she was sure was her last, desperate kiss.  

And just about when she expected to be pushed away she found herself pulled into him, his familiar fingers circling her waist and cradling her head and all doubt and time fled from her.   A small eternity later they parted gasping for breath.  Lily always read about soul-stealing kisses but never believed they actually happened with real people. Until now.  Foreheads touching, they panted softly at the intensity of it all.

“What was that?” Lily asked between breaths.

“Shh. We’re resolving the tension.”

Lily’s lips curled into a smirk. “Smartass.”   

It was the last thing they said for a while as their lips met again, they stumbled into the house and shut the door.


End file.
